William johnston



(N0 Model.)

W. JOHNSTON. UNIVERSAL SHAFT COUPLING.

Patented Jilly 5, 1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrin WILLIAM JOHNSTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, ()F TWO-THIRDS TO YVILLIAM W. SHOE, OF SAME PLACE.

UNIVERSAL SHAFT-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,914, dated July 5, 1881.

Application filed March 26, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom t'tmay concern: be set at an 'angle, as shown by the dotted Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOHNSTON, a lines, Fig. 2, or both shafts may be set at an ancitizen of the United States, residing in the gle, as shown in Fig. 6, the angle or inclinacity and countyofPhiladelphia, State ofPenntion of the shaft or shafts varying as desired.

sylvania, have invented a new and useful Im- VVhen power is imparted to one of the shafts provementinUniversalShaft-Oonplings,which it is communicated to the other shaft regardimprovement is fully set forth in the following less of the angle or inclination of either shaft; specification and accompanying drawings, in and it will be seen that when the shaft is set whichat an angle, as the hall rotates within the 10 Figure l is a side elevation of the coupling socket, the gudgeons receive rocking motions, 6o embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longiwhile the heads D of the same, which project tudinal section thereof in linear, Fig.1. Fig. into the groove a, conform to the positions as 3 is a face view thereof. Fig. 4 is a section of sumed by the said groove, occasioned by the a modification in line 2 2, Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a rotation of the ball, the coupling thus operat- 1 transverse section thereof in line 3 y, Fig. 4. ing with ease and without binding, the con- Fig.6is alongitudinal section of another modistruction being such that the parts are strong fication. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of one and durable, and may be cheaply produced.

of the gudgeons of the coupling. The gudgeons above described have rocking Similar letters of reference indicate correorpartly-rotarymotionsabouttheiraxes,which 2o spending parts in the several figures. motions are independent of the motion of the My invention relates to improvements in shell. shaft-coupling, wherein the shafts are allowed The groove of the ball is cutaway, flattened perfect freedom of motion in every direction or reduced at opposite places of its circumferwithin certain limits; anditconsistsinconnectence, as at I), the opening which receives the 25 ing the ball and socket of the coupling by shaft appearing at said places b,itbeingnoticed 7 means of rocking gudgeons, the construction that the faces of the heads D are curved to and operation whereof will be hereinafter more conform to the curvature of the base of the fully set forth. groove a of the ball, and, consequently, when Referring to the drawings, A represents the the ball is in operative position the heads or 0 shell of the coupling, having at one end an gudgeonspreventthedisplacement ofthe ball, opening for the attachment of a shaft, and the rotary motionsthereof, as has been stated, formed at the other end with a socket, B, for not being interfered with. the reception of a ball, 0, in the opening of When the coupling is to be disconnected or which latter another shaft may be keyed or separated the shaft which is connected to the 3 5 otherwise attached. The socket B is transball is removed and the ball rotated until the 8 5 versely pierced at opposite places for the reflat faces b are parallel with the heads of the ception of gudgeonsD, the inner end of each gudgeons. The ball may then be lifted from of which is formed with a head, D, which is the socket, or by overturning the latter the let into a countersink on the inner face of the ball will drop out. The application of the ball 40 socket, and the ball 0 is circumferentially to the socket is accomplished by bringing the 0 grooved, as at a, to receive the heads I) of the flat faces b in line or parallel with the heads gudgeons, whereby, when the ball is moved, of the gudgeons, and then slipping the ball said heads ride freely in said groove a, reinto the socket; or, if the shell is upright, the strained by the walls thereof, the groove being ball will readily drop into the socket. The

5 continuous, so that either end of the opening ball is then rotated until the flat faces clear 5 for the shaft may be presented. The motion the heads of the gudgeons, and the opening for of the shafts is communicated first to the ball the shaft again appears, the curved faces of the and then to the gudgeons and shell, or vice gudgeons then being contiguous to the curved versa, and consequently to the other shaft, so base of the groove a, and thus retaining the D 50 that both shafts rotate as one. One shaft may ball in position, the gudgeons being adapted,

when power is applied to either shaft, to rock as before stated.

If desired, a socket may be formed at each end of the shell and provided with a ball and rocking gudgeons, as will be seen in Fig. 6 or the inner face of the socket may be grooved and the gudgeons pivoted to the ball, as shown in Figs. 4. and 5, in which case the socket is made in detachable sections, so that the ball may be applied, held in position, and removed when desired.

Furthermore, if desired, the rocking gudgeons may be of the form of spheres or pins, loosely let into one part of the coupling and projecting freely into the other.

The head I) of each gudgeon is beveled at D on its outer end or edge, to allow the shafts, or either of them, to have the fullest possible inclination. The same general object may be effected by beveling the edge of the socket, but this construction requires the heads to be made too small, or else the unbeveled outer ends of the head would get in the way. If the gudgeons are set farther back in the socket to avoid this difficulty, the socket must be madelarger, and therefore clulnsier, than in the ,Wposite sides where the shaft passes through,

substantially as described.

2. The shell B, ball 0, and the two shafts, in combination with gudgeons D, the heads D of which are beveled at their outer ends on a line passingbehind the center of the ball, for the purpose of allowing the shafts to have agreater inclination than would otherwise be possible.

WILLIAM JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, A. P. GRANT. 

